Overhead conductor cables are commonly suspended from a messenger wire. The messenger wire is supported on poles or towers with the conductor cable spacers arranged at spaced intervals along the messenger wire to suspend one or more conductor cables. A variety of devices may be used to either install the messenger cable or permanently retain the messenger cable. For example, during installation of the messenger cable, an installation device may be used to temporarily retain the messenger cable in place while it is strung along the utility poles, which is then exchanged for a permanent messenger cable retention device. These conventional installation processes are often tedious and expensive processes since they require the use of numerous different installation devices for installation, and then an exchanging of the installation devices for permanent retention devices. For example, a utility worker installing a cable will have to first install the installation devices, then string the messenger cable through the installation devices, and then go back to each of the installation devices and replace it with a permanent stringing device.
The installation devices and permanent retention devices that are used with a transmission and distribution line will depend on the location and setting of the area, including such things as curves in the line run and changes in elevation. Clamps of the messenger cable will be used for both straight runs of the messenger cable and those having curves, such as by changes in direction and/or elevation. However, these conventional clamps are often limited in how much of a variation in change in direction or elevation they can support. For example, a conventional clamps used for stringing and retaining messenger cable in substantially straight runs may only be capable of facilitating up to a 6° variation in the x, y, and z directions from a straight path. When a messenger cable run has a curve greater than 6°, the straight conventional clamp must be replaced with a different type of clamp, such as one that facilitates a variation of between 6° and 20°. The relative inflexibility of these conventional clamps to facilitate a greater number of variations adds to the expense and time of installation and retention of the messenger cable.
The use of these many installation and permanent retention components comes at a high cost to utility companies. These costs, coupled with the expense in man hours for installation of the cable adds significant costs to the operational budgets of the utility companies, which is passed along to the consumer in the form of higher utility bills. Furthermore, many of the cable retention devices conventionally used are designed for particular or specific uses, and may not be able to be used in universal positions. Thus, a worker must first make sure he or she has the correct device prior to installation. This adds additional complications to the installation process of cable, which adds more time and costs to the already high expense associated with stringing and retaining cable.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.